Page 254 - Media Coverage Book - 75th Aldeburgh Festival 2024

interpretation of Messiaen. Protagonist in Philip Venables’ 4:48 Psychosis in 2016 was followed by

a key part in Laura Bowler’s opera The Blue Woman at the Royal Opera House in 2022. She’s
also been in demand for her interpretation of Aida, performing the role in Bremen, Kiel, Oldenburg,

Poznań and Helsinki. Then September sees Rand as Mrs Grose in Britten’s The Turn of the
Screw at English National Opera.

‘We have to be able to reach people, we have to feel as though we're not alone. It's so mentally
damaging if everyone just works in their little box by themselves.’

Collaborative pianist Simon Lepper accompanies Rand for two of her Messiaen concerts, with the

first concert, this Saturday (8 June) being the 12 movement cycle ‘Harawi – Chant d’amour et de
mort’. The second and third concerts also showcase four young artists on the Britten Pears Young
Artist Programme. Although a tall order, this is far from Rand and Lepper’s first rodeo. ‘Simon and

I did the songs when we were students,’ Rand tells me. ‘He was at his college, I was at mine. He

always used to come and look moody and magnificent at the back of lieder class.’

Each of Messiaen cycles will also be performed in collaboration with acclaimed artist Rachel

Jones, whose animated painting projections will accompany the performances. Rand met Jones
when collaborating on an operatic project Hey Maudie with the Roberts Institute of Art, which took

inspiration from Gwendolyn Brooks' 1953 novel, Maud Martha.

‘I saw her work and I heard Messiaen,’ Rand pauses. ‘It feels magical.’

Jones’s work is certainly prolific, a recent project included designing the 2024 BRIT Awards

trophy. ‘But because I am vaguely ignorant in the nicest possible way,’ Rand continues. ‘I said to
Rachel “There’s this place called Aldeburgh… and there’s a festival… and what do you think about

maybe kind of using your art… with music?” It was that simple. I didn’t know what a beacon she is
in the art world.’